1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a center reinforcement structure of a panoramic sunroof which is coupled in a vehicle width direction between a front glass and a rear glass, and more particularly, to a center reinforcement structure of a panoramic sunroof which includes a first center reinforcement which is coupled to a lower portion of a frame, and has a first closed cross-sectional portion that is formed at one side of the first center reinforcement by sequentially bending a plate so as to provide a closed space, and a first joint portion that is formed at the other side of the first center reinforcement by overlapping both ends of the plate in parallel or substantially in parallel so that both the ends of the plate are in surface contact with each other, thereby improving rigidity of a center portion of a panoramic sunroof, and reducing a size of the center reinforcement structure.
2. Description of Related Art
An opening portion may be formed in a roof panel of a vehicle in order to discharge air inside the vehicle to the outside and allow air outside the vehicle to flow into the vehicle, and the opening portion is openable or closable by a sunroof glass that is installed at a ceiling of the vehicle.
The sunroof is manufactured to ventilate the interior of the vehicle and allow openness, and manufactured through a heat treatment process so as to withstand intense sunlight. The sunroof may be made of glass that effectively blocks ultraviolet rays and infrared rays, or may be made of a high strength material in order to prevent an occupant from being injured due to glass fragments at the time of a vehicle accident.
Particularly, recently, a panoramic sunroof, in which most of the roof panel is manufactured using glass, and a part of the roof panel is selectively opened and closed, is being widely used for the purpose of allowing openness and enhancing aesthetic design.
The virtue of this panoramic sunroof allows the driver to have a large amount of natural sunlight when the vehicle is driven or stopped, and the driver may enjoy driving the vehicle by opening the panoramic sunroof when the vehicle is traveling.
The aforementioned panoramic sunroof includes a front glass which slides to be openable and closable at a front side of the ceiling of the vehicle, and a rear glass which is fixed at a rear side of the ceiling of the vehicle.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, a frame 3 is coupled in a vehicle width direction between the front glass 1 and the rear glass 2 so as to serve to seal a gap between the front glass 1 and the rear glass 2, fix the rear glass 2, and connect left and right side frames.
A center reinforcement 4, which is made of steel and formed in a plate shape having rigid foam and beads, is coupled to a lower portion of the frame 3 in order to reinforce rigidity of the frame 3, and a center cover 5 is disposed below the center reinforcement 4.
However, a center reinforcement structure of the panoramic sunroof in the related art is configured as an open cross-sectional structure such that rigidity of the frame cannot be sufficiently reinforced, and as a result, a thickness of the center reinforcement structure is increased such that production cost and a vehicle weight are increased.
A length, that is, a width of the center reinforcement in a forward and rearward direction is too long such that a width of a center portion of the panoramic sunroof becomes greater overall, and as a result, openness of an occupant seated on a back seat of the vehicle is hindered.
The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.